Cost of Living Comparison Between Middlesbrough and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Middlesbrough and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,975 in Middlesbrough versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,797 in Middlesbrough versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,618 in Middlesbrough versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Middlesbrough is roughly 52% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Middlesbrough is 47% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 £14.94

$11.73 MX$203

70.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 £54.6

$41.62 MX$719

76.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.31 £7.68

$10.64 MX$184

-3.10%

Cappuccino

$4.42 £3.29

$3.52 MX$60.8

25.57%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.51 MX$26.09

29.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 £1.06

$0.97 MX$16.82

46.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 £4.06

$2.95 MX$51.0

84.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 £4.16

$4.45 MX$77.0

25.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.38 MX$23.90

15.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.89 MX$32.69

-8.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 £1.99

$1.64 MX$28.29

63.41%

Eggs

$3.98 £2.97

$2.51 MX$43.30

58.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.08 £5.27

$8.34 MX$144

-15.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.47 £5.57

$8.34 MX$144

-10.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.86 £7.35

$10.73 MX$185

-8.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 £1.97

$2.60 MX$45.00

1.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 £1.68

$1.46 MX$25.18

54.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 £1.70

$1.90 MX$32.84

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 £1.97

$2.08 MX$35.88

26.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.78 MX$30.68

-2.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 £0.99

$2.19 MX$37.76

-39.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 £1.03

$1.04 MX$17.97

32.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.39

$1.08 MX$18.60

72.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.66 £13.90

$4.08 MX$70.5

357.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.63 £10.90

$10.32 MX$178

41.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.78 £2.82

$1.71 MX$29.59

121.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 £3.87

$2.58 MX$44.50

101.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.10 £3.05

$0.51 MX$8.81

703.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 £71.9

$26.46 MX$457

264.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.26 £4.66

$3.26 MX$56.4

92.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 £0.86

$2.49 MX$43.05

-53.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.36 £12.19

$3.25 MX$56.1

403.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.31 MX$22.59

49.62%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.5K £22.7K

$30.3K MX$523.2K

0.65%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.6K £29.5K

$23.4K MX$404.9K

68.83%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$286 £213

$82.9 MX$1,432

245.63%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.07 £12.72

$22.22 MX$384

-23.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.37 £31.57

$29.34 MX$507

44.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 £40.44

$51.6 MX$892

5.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.23 £15.82

$18.32 MX$317

15.88%

Cinema Ticket

$13.02 £9.70

$5.07 MX$87.5

156.80%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$965 £719

$201 MX$3,470

380.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K £15.4K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

295.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.8 £58.7

$36.92 MX$638

113.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.13 £32.87

$39.79 MX$688

10.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 £63.2

$78.5 MX$1,356

8.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 £52.8

$87.1 MX$1,505

-18.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$920 £686

$973 MX$16.8K

-5.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 £521

$468 MX$8,082

49.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 £774

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-36.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$964 £718

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-21.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,738 £2,040

$3,946 MX$68.2K

-30.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 £1,702

$6,498 MX$112.3K

-64.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,380 £1,773

$664 MX$11.5K

258.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

11.42

-50.96%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Middlesbrough: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $920 in Middlesbrough and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middlesbrough pays 258% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $73.0 in Middlesbrough vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Middlesbrough vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Middlesbrough and Playa del Carmen differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($1,975 vs $1,297 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Middlesbrough pays 258% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $920 in Middlesbrough versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Middlesbrough. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $73.0 in Middlesbrough. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,975 in Middlesbrough, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Middlesbrough. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Middlesbrough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.